BID Newsletter September 2024
Hello all and here’s the September edition of our Harrogate BID newsletter.
We’re moving into the Autumn months now, but things definitely aren’t slowing down for us! From the Harrogate Music Weekender, to new spooky Halloween fun, we’ve got plenty coming up over the next month.
I’m absolutely thrilled to say we were crowned with three Gold awards at the Yorkshire in Bloom ceremony, highlighting the vital work we do to ensure our town remains a key floral destination. It’s an honour to have all our hard work recognised in this prestigious way!
Our latest street art installation in Albert Street has had some wonderfully positive feedback, with one married couple even posing for a picture with it! A huge thank you to Sarah for her fantastic design and creation, it looks amazing.
Our Town Centre Support Officer is continuing his top work helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour around the town centre. Kiam has been a great asset to the BID so far and it’s results like this that show he’s making a positive change in our town!
The Harrogate Music Weekender returns next week, with the full line-up now available. The headline show Singo Bingo promises to be a top night of singing and dancing, so grab your tickets while you can as they’re flying out the door.
Halloween in Harrogate is set to look different this year, with a pop-up pumpkin patch transforming a key location in the town centre… It promises to be fun for all the family, so be sure to get involved!
Plans are well underway for Christmas in Harrogate now, with the festive period fast approaching! We know it’s a very important time for businesses, residents and visitors to our town, so we’re always keen to support it.
Yours sincerely,
Sara Ferguson
Harrogate BID Chair
BID crowned Gold at Yorkshire in Bloom
The Harrogate BID team were delighted to claim three top prizes at this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom awards, recognising the vital work the team do to ensure the town remains a key floral destination.
The Business Improvement District’s (BID’s) Floral Summer of Celebration event won Gold at the awards, following the ‘Friendship’ themed trail held earlier in the year with 10 dazzling displays attracting thousands of visits into Harrogate town centre.
The judges said they were given a “very warm welcome” by the BID team on the launch day of the Floral Celebration. They added that displays brought a “friendly, unique” feel to the town centre over the summer months and highlighted the positive support from local businesses.
BID team working with partners to form brand identities for areas of Harrogate
Harrogate BID are excited to announce details of a brand-new project they are working in collaboration with key partners on to promote the North Yorkshire town as a fantastic destination.
This new campaign, created by the BID, Up the Anti and Visit North Yorkshire, will look to create special brand identities for specified, individual areas of Harrogate to showcase what the town has to offer, promote it as a must-visit destination for all, maintain residents’ love and pride for their town and highlight its historic heritage, tradition and aspiration.
Full line-up for Harrogate Music Weekender revealed
The full line-up for this year’s Harrogate Music Weekender has been revealed, featuring a range of live music, tribute acts and exciting events.
The three-day town wide schedule of musical fun, organised by Harrogate BID, returns to Harrogate on Friday October 11th, with a series of events running until the Sunday (October 13th).
More than 15 venues across the town centre are preparing to host over 30 different acts and events, from an Oompah Band to an exclusive bottle share vinyl breakfast!
A range of live music from artists and bands feature on the bill over the course of the event, from the Azurals playing at The Den on the Friday to Velvet Tuxedo closing the weekender at Blues Bar on the Sunday.
Halloween in Harrogate
The team at Harrogate BID are excited to announce they will be delivering a brand-new event for Halloween this year, bringing pop-up pumpkin fun for all the family to the town centre.
The BID has partnered with Odin Events to bring this new experience to the North Yorkshire town, transforming Library Gardens into a spooky Halloween haven.
The event, running on October 29th and 30th, will bring a traditional pumpkin patch right into the key town centre location, making it highly accessible for residents and visitors.
Featuring plenty of pumpkins, straw furrows, picket fencing and decorative hay bales, it’s set to bring the feel of a traditional pumpkin patch into Harrogate.
Town Centre Support Officer continues positive work in Harrogate
Harrogate BID’s Town Centre Support Officer (TCSO) has been continuing his great work to support, safeguard and improve the town and make the area the best it can be.
The role was introduced by the Business Improvement District (BID) earlier this year to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, working alongside partners and supporting projects as the team work towards achieving their objective and overall Business Plan set out for their second term in the North Yorkshire town.
Since taking on the job, Kiam has continued to make an effective difference, helping to retrieve hundreds of pounds worth of stolen goods, increasing reporting of crime in Harrogate and supporting partners to work in collaboration against potential criminals.
Just recently, he was on hand to deter a thief and recover £600 worth of stolen jackets and return them to a store in the town centre.
BID installs stunning new street art in town centre
The BID team continue to take pride in Harrogate following the completion of the latest creative project featuring a new installation.
The stunning street art display has been painted along a blank wall on Albert Street, alongside Hotel Du Vin. Harrogate BID was delighted to work with professional artist Sarah Marsh to create the impressive mural – produced using different aspects of her designs and helping to highlight Harrogate as a must-visit destination.
Harrogate Restaurant Week 2024
The BID team are delighted to partner with Visit North Yorkshire to see the return of Harrogate Restaurant Week next month, providing a great opportunity to drive footfall and spend into businesses.
The event offers a fantastic chance for restaurants, cafes and bars across the district to attract people to try out somewhere new at an affordable price. Running from October 7th – 13th, all businesses with a marketing listing on the Visit Harrogate website are eligible to participate in the week.
BID up for Harrogate Mumbler Award
The BID team are delighted to announce that one of their events has been nominated for a Harrogate Mumbler Award!
The Harrogate Lego Trail, which ran for three weeks over the summer, has been shortlisted for the ‘Favourite Free Family Event, Class or Attraction’ prize in this year’s awards.
The trail brought a magical, fairy tale feel to Harrogate town centre, with thousands of visitors and their families joining in with the fun.
Latest BID Blog on floral heritage
The latest Harrogate BID blog delved into the topic of our town’s renowned floral heritage – and how it’s been shaped by historic shows and more recent celebrations.
From the cherry blossom avenues on the Stray, to the flower beds blooming in Valley Gardens and Prospect Place, it seems that the majority of locations around Harrogate have got that ‘flower power’ feel.
As the Business Improvement District in Harrogate, we’re always looking at ways to flex our town’s floral muscles and promote it as a must-visit destination. We work in collaboration with the majority of floral organisations in our town, attending regular meetings and supporting a series of groups – from Harrogate in Bloom to the Stray Defence Society.
Harrogate Theatre sponsorship campaign
The theatre is delighted to offer an exclusive sponsorship opportunity for our upcoming pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.
This award-winning family festive production attracts an audience of over 33,000 over 73 performances.
By partnering with us as a sponsor you will receive significant exposure and engagement with a local audience, alongside supporting an arts charity in Harrogate to continue our outstanding work with children and young people through our Youth Theatre and school’s work.
Raworths Literary Lunch
Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival is thrilled to welcome tech entrepreneur, futurist, venture capitalist and acclaimed author Ajay Chowdhury as its Literary Lunch guest speaker.
Ajay has co-founded or served as CEO of various companies, including Shazam and Seatwave and was named one of the Sunday Times’ top 100 BAME business leaders in the UK.
He’ll share unique insights into the future of technology and the role of AI in shaping creativity in a thought-provoking talk complemented by a delicious two-course meal and drinks.
Latest HUQ update
The total footfall recorded throughout September was 1,207,273, with the highest on Saturday, September 21st at 70,635 and the lowest on Thursday, September 5th at 13,452.
According to the latest density data, the hotspots within the BID area during September were on Oxford Street, Cambridge Street and James Street.
If you would like to see anymore of the latest HUQ data, please email info@harrogatebid.co.uk
Grace & Morris architects opens in Harrogate
Grace and Morris, residential architects and interior designers are thrilled to be opening on the prestigious Parliament Street, in the heart of Harrogate.
With a passion for design excellence and a commitment to exceptional service, the team are excited to bring their innovative architectural solutions and internal design flair to this historical town.
Whether you’re planning a complete new build, kitchen extension or a home remodel, Grace & Morris want to work with you, to bring your vision to life.
Winners revealed at Harrogate in Bloom awards
The winners of this year’s prestigious Harrogate in Bloom awards were revealed at a special ceremony last night.
The awards recognise the various floral contributions across the North Yorkshire town and highlight horticultural achievements of local individuals, groups and businesses.
The awards evening, held at The West Park Hotel on Thursday September 19th, saw the winners presented with their prizes following the judging over the summer.
Reductions at The White Company
Grab some great deals at this Harrogate retailer!
The White Company is offering up to 50% off following further reductions.
Make sure you shop in the Harrogate store on James Street to check out the deals!